Chinese foreign policy towards Central Asia
China has endeavored to build and strengthen its relations with the five Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. While originally the main focus of its political and diplomatic activities was to settle the Soviet legacy of disputed borders, its ties with Central Asia later started to reflect a growing desire to protect broader economic and security interests in the region.
Today, a substantial network of roads, railways, air flights, communication, and oil and gas pipelines connects China to Central Asia.
Just few years ago, carrying out almost $46 billion of trade with the region’s five states, China was the most prominent economic actor and main source of foreign investment in the region but today Beijing has increased its trade prospects to 124 billion USD.
Since China forged diplomatic relations with the five Central Asian states in 1992, its overall trade with the region has increased 100-fold.
Huge financing and foreign direct investment in energy, natural resource extraction, and commodities, such as the Central Asia gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China, the Atyrau-Alashankou oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to China, significant investments in energy transport and communication in Uzbekistan, the construction of new roads and tunnels in Tajikistan, and the expansion of road connections between Kyrgyzstan and China have generated many headlines.